The federal government commissioned the Siemens Energy Education and Development (SEED) training facility in Abeokuta on Tuesday.

Speaking at the ceremony, Samaila Nasiru, director of human resource management of the Federal Ministry of Power, described SEED as a major step toward strengthening human capital development in Nigeria’s energy sector.

According to him, the facility plans to train at least 6,000 energy professionals to boost capacity in the power sector.

Mr Nasiru explained that the centre symbolised not just the opening of a training facility but also a strong commitment to the future of the power sector.

The director stated that the ministry’s mandate under the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) focused on modernising and expanding Nigeria’s power infrastructure.

He noted that while significant investments were being made to upgrade transmission and distribution capacity nationwide under Phase 1 of the initiative, infrastructure alone could not address the country’s energy challenges.

He added that sustainable progress in the sector depended largely on the availability of highly skilled professionals capable of operating, maintaining and optimising modern power systems.

He said, “The SEED programme is a brilliant manifestation of this philosophy. This training centre is the cornerstone of our human capital development strategy.

“The initiative is a strategic investment in Nigeria’s workforce; the five-year programme is designed to train 6,000 energy professionals.

“The programme will strengthen local capacity in the power sector and ensure that technical expertise is firmly rooted within the domestic workforce.” 

Mr Nasiru explained that collaboration with regulatory bodies such as the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) would provide participants with internationally recognised certifications.

He contended that the initiative aligned with the federal government’s local content development agenda by creating jobs and positioning Nigeria as a regional hub for technical excellence in the energy sector.

Earlier, the managing director of FGN Power Company, Kenny Anuwe, said the SEED initiative would strengthen Nigeria’s power sector through human capital development and technical capacity building.

Mr Anuwe described the programme as a strategic investment supporting the PPI’s goal of modernising and expanding Nigeria’s power infrastructure for sustainable national development.

The MD said sustainable progress depended on skilled professionals capable of operating, maintaining, and optimising power infrastructure across the country’s transmission and distribution networks.

He commended the European Union, German government, Siemens Energy, GIZ and other partners, expressing confidence that the initiative would drive economic growth and energy sustainability in Nigeria.

In his remarks, the managing director of Siemens Energy, Sheu Suleman, said the SEED initiative would support the federal government’s plan to reset Nigeria’s power sector.

Mr Suleman said the PPI remained central to President Bola Tinubu’s directive to reform the nation’s energy and power sectors.

According to him, the SEED programme will not only address technical losses in transmission infrastructure but also build local capacity through technology transfer and workforce development.

Mr Suleman said the training would be conducted across multiple locations, including Abeokuta, Offa, Ibadan, Ayede, Birnin Kebbi and Sokoto, with additional sites planned in collaboration with the federal government.

The country director of GIZ in Nigeria, Markus Wagner, explained that the SEED initiative fully aligned with the PPI and Nigeria’s power sector reform goals.

Mr Wagner said that key institutions were helping to integrate industry-approved standards and quality assurance measures into the training programmes under the initiative.

Representatives of the European Union, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), and the Ogun State Government were in attendance at the inauguration. 

(NAN)